The researchers analyzed the genomes of dozens of children’s remains found in a mass grave near the Sacred Cenote, a huge sinkhole at the ceremonial center of Chichen Itza. They found that all the human sacrifices were male, and a significant number were closely related (including two sets of identical twins), a practice that scientists believe is linked to the importance of twins in ancient Maya mythology.
The findings contradict the commonly held belief that the majority of those killed at the site were young women and girls.
Rodrigo Barquera, lead author of a new paper on the study, said in an interview that the discovery is a “groundbreaking discovery.” It’s the first time that an all-male burial has been reported at the site, said Barquera, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.
research, Published this week in Nature magazineThe study focused on the analysis of the remains of over 100 children recovered from a water cistern near the cenote during the construction of a new airport runway between April and June 1967. According to the researchers, water cisterns (chultuns) have long been associated with water, rain and child sacrifice, and the underground structures were believed to be entrances to the underworld.
To ensure the remains were not tested more than once, the team removed specific bones from each skull, but not all of the remains had these intact, meaning they were only able to analyze 64. Using radiocarbon dating, the researchers then determined that the children, half of whom were between three and six years old, had died over a 500-year period up to the mid-12th century.
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In addition to the two sets of identical twins, the team found that a quarter of the bodies examined had close relatives in the tank, “suggesting that the children may have been specifically selected for victimization on the basis of close biological kinship.” The number of related children found at the site may have been even higher, the researchers say, because they weren’t able to test all the bodies.
They also found that closely related children consumed similar foods, which, along with the fact that they were similar ages when they died, suggests they were chosen to be sacrificed in the same rituals, the study said.
Researchers have linked the practice of sacrificing close relatives’ children to the Maya sacred text, the Popol Vuh, which details the sacrifice of twin brothers who were defeated by a god in a ball game. According to the text, one of the brothers’ twin sons, known as the Hero Twin, avenged his slain relative.
“Early 20th century accounts erroneously promoted the shocking story of the sacrifice of young women and girls at this site,” report co-author Christina Warinner, a professor of anthropology at Harvard University, said in a statement. “This study, conducted in close international collaboration, reverses that story and reveals a deep connection between ritual sacrifice and the cycle of human death and rebirth described in Maya scriptures.”
Home to some of the largest pyramids of the Maya, the ancient city of Chichen Itza first rose to prominence in A.D. 600. The site began to decline in the 15th century, according to UNESCO, but researchers say it continued to be a popular destination for Mayan pilgrims well into colonial times and beyond. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
Barcela acknowledged that it may be a shock to realise that the bodies at the site “are those of children, sacrificed.”
“But we must keep in mind that death is a totally different concept in Mesoamerican culture. … Death is not seen as something bad. Of course, from our point of view, it is wrong. But we cannot judge their deeds with a modern point of view, because at that time, and according to their myths and beliefs, what they were doing was considered right.”
The age of the burial sites and their long use suggest that Maya rituals “were more complicated than just offering something to the gods, because you needed to receive a favor or ask for forgiveness,” he added.
The study didn’t just shed light on Chichen Itza’s ancient history: It compared DNA from the skull with blood samples from 68 modern residents of Chiszcaltuyub, a town about 25 miles from the ancient ruins, and found that the DNA was linked to the children found in the cistern, indicating that the children whose remains were found there came from a nearby ancient Maya community.
Barquera said residents of Tixcacaltuyub were “really happy” to hear about their connection to the ruins, and he believed the discovery would help better communicate with tourists and foster dialogue about equality.
“You know, you go to these sites and praise the people who built these amazing structures, but then you go off and treat the indigenous people badly,” he said.
“And now they see this as a way to tell people, ‘Look, we’re all human beings, why are you excluding us from important conversations like health and education?'” he added.
This place was once chosen as one of the seven modern wonders of the world last year. A record 2.3 million visitors were recorded.